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Ever played a bass that made you think you played better?


Harryburke14
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So basically I went into the local music shop this morning for the usual expendables (strings, picks, cables, etc) and while I was there picked up a Rickenbacker 4003 in Walnut with maple through neck and some push-pull vintage voicing switch. I don't know if it was just in my head, but this bass made me feel as though I was a better bassist. It was so easy to play and sounded so brilliant I am now sad I don't have the £2000 to have left with it. Usually, I feel like a blagger, with that I felt just like Bruce Foxton, as if the 25 people in the shop were actually 250,000 people in a big arena.

So my question is does anyone have an experience of playing a bass that made them play bass better? Or is it just a psychological thing?

Edited by Harryburke14
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[quote]. . . . Ever played a bass that made you think you played better?. . . . [/quote]

All the time.

IMO sounding and playing better is the only reason for buying the next one.

Is it a psychological thing? Not if you do it properly and assess the new gear with your head and not your heart. If you do it like that then you probably are playing better.

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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1489236045' post='3255361']


All the time.

IMO sounding and playing better is the only reason for buying the next one.

Is it a psychological thing? Not if you do it properly and assess the new gear with your head and not your heart. If you do it like that then you probably are playing better.
[/quote]

It was strange. I have never been able to slap, but that rick (while I know ricks aren't the choice of slap basses) had me thinking that slap really isn't an issue.

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I've only started playing bass recently but in my experience of 15 years on guitar, there are those instruments that just have the perfect setup and make everything seem so easy. I've played some expensive guitars that had terrible setups - we're talking £2000+ "prestige" instruments from various American and European manufacturers who seem to ship guitars set up by the work experience kid. The best playing guitar I ever owned was a mid-range Indonesian built Ibanez that literally had the perfect setup for me - I could play cleaner and with less effort, the net result I can cleanly play things at speeds I just couldn't manage on other guitars.

There have been times I've picked something up and found it pretty much exactly to my liking, or fiddled with the setup myself to get it there and I've found them very inspiring instruments to use. The ideas just seem to flow so freely when it feels like there are no barriers between my hands and the music in my head.

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Yes - it was many years' ago at The Gallery in Camden.

Martin P had a Jaydee Custom 4, which was possibly a slightly shorter scale (33"??) than what I'm used to, and the action was quite low which made it ultra-playable.

Add a David Eden World Tour amp + cab ~ and it was just one of the best 1/2 hour I've had testing a Bass whilst in a shop. I didn't want to put it down.

I think it is slightly psychological ~ the solution is (possibly) to make sure that your Basses are set up properly in the first place! :+)

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Kramer DMZ4401 aluminium neck bass, TI flats. Hard to explain but the notes almost play themselves off the frets. They 'resonate' with energy, liveliness and a 'rubbery' feel. I have no other bass that does this, even with same TI flats on. The bass just says 'play me and I will make you sound good'.

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When I picked up my Sadowsky UV70 I immediately felt I played better. It made me try things there in the shop that I didn't think I could play, and it gave me the confidence to do so and seemingly execute them. More recently my Fodera YYS (I guess this should be expected!) is the bass that makes me play without having to think about the bass itself. I was fortunate enough to be able to take both home with me!

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[quote name='Pinball' timestamp='1489237077' post='3255368']
That happens to me even when I swap beween nice instruments. They inspire you to play better and to enjoy the listening experience more.
[/quote]

^^ This!

I've currently got the following sat behind my in my study/practise room:



They all play and sound very different and I get inspiration from each. Currently getting a massive amount of payback from the Thumb fretless and the Sandberg (it's on fresh strings!!!)

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[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1489366589' post='3256428']
I don't think so. Flatwounds do though.
[/quote]

+1 They do really make a difference. I just always feel more comfortable on a bass with flats. A guy I'm starting to work with tried out my bass last week and fell in love with the feel immediately!

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Not really. I've never found a bass where [b][i]everything[/i][/b] was perfect. Plenty with [b][i]some[/i][/b] outstanding features, but then always something else that made me move on...

The quest continues! :gas:

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I used to have a Status Series II that gave me this feeling. It was one of those instruments that just felt incredible to play, so effortless. It was so easy to play, with such low, clean action that it did make me sound better than usual.

Essentially, it gave the feeling of the absolute minimum impedance to my playing.

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